Convertible chair



(No Model.)

J. W. KENNA.

' CONVERTIBLE CHAIR.

Patented Mar. 16, 1886.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEFIcE.

JOSEPH V. KENNA, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THOMPSON, PERLEY & VVAITE, OF BALDVVINSVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS.

CONVERTIBLE CHAIR.

EQPECIFIL'GATION forming p'art Of Letters Patent N0. 338,232, dated Mal' ll 16 1886.

I Application filed October 20,1?85. Serial No. hilt-137. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern/.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH W. KENNA, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Convertible Chairs, of which I do declare the following to be a' full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My present invention relates to that class of childrens convertible chairs wherein means are provided by which the chair-seat can be readily raised to form a high chair, or can be lowered, so as to form a low chair or trundlecarriage.

The object of my invention is to improve and simplify the means whereby the position of the chair can be quickly and conveniently varied, to so mount the chair-seat that when it islowcred it can be turned in order to have the child face either towardthe attendant or in the opposite direction, and to provide an improved construction of foot-rest attachment for the chair.

To this end my invention consists in the novel construction of parts hereinafter de scribed, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly defined in the claims at the end of, this specification.

Figure 1 is aperspectiveview of a convertible chair embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of the cross-bar with its central hub. Fig. 3 is a View in vertical transverse section, parts being shown in elevation. Fig. 4 is aview in vertical longitudinal section, showing the chair-seat frame in its lowermost position. i

A designates the base-frame of the chair, which is tied together by means of the rods a, and is supported at its front and rear upon the wheels B and B, the wheels B being preferably of greater diameter,in order to permit the chair when used as a trundling-carriage to more readily pass over obstacles. From side to side of the top of this base-frame and fastened thereto extends the cross-bar O, which is provided at its center with the hollow hub 0, having upon its interior the opposite grooves, c, and upon its upper face the transverse grooves 0. Through this hub 0 passes the main spindle D, that is suitably connected at its upper end to the chair-seat E,and is provided upon opposite sides with the lugs or pins d,of a size permitting them to enter the grooves c and c of the hub O. The upper end of the sliding spindle D is provided, as shown,with theflange d, upon which rests the central ring of the spiderframe F, the arms of which are attached, as at f, to the foot-rest frame, and this ring fits the spindle so loosely as to permit the chair-frame to be readily revolved.

The foot-rest frame consists of the side arms or bars,G or G, upwardly bent, as shown, and connected together by suitable rounds.

In the cross-bar C, near-its ends, are formed the perforations 0, adapted to receive the pins f of the footrest frame, in order to hold this frame firmly in place when the chair-seat is raised to its highest position.

To the rear legs of the base-frame there is pi votall y connected, as at h, the handle H,and at a short distance from the end of this handle there is also pivotally connected thereto the forward end of the foot-rest I, the rear edge of this foot-rest being pivotally connected to the upper part of the foot-rest frame, as seen at 2' in Figs. 1 and 4.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that when the chair-seat is in its highest position the lugs or pins 01 of the spindle will rest in the transverse grooves 0', formed in the top of the hollow hub O of the cross-bar. If, now, the chair-seat is to belowered, in order to form a trundlingcarriage, as seen in Figs. 3 and 4, the seat-frame will be first lifted slightly to raise the pins d out of the grooves c, and will then be turned a quarter of a revolution, until these pins enter the vertical grooves 0 of the central hub. The spindle will then slide freely through the hub until the chair-seat is in its lowest position, as seen in Figs. 3 and 4. As the chair-seat descends the pivotal points h and approach each other, and the handle and the foot-rest are thereby caused to swing outward until they assume the relative positions shown in Fig. 4.. In this position the parts constitute atrundling-carriage which can beconveniently moved as desired by means of the handle.

It will be readily seen that when the seatframe is raised from its lowermost to its uppermost position the act of raising this frame will cause the foot-rest and the handle to be drawn inward against the back of the chair, as seen in Fig. 1.

By pivotally mounting the chair-seat upon its base in such manner that it can be revolved independently ofthe handle by which the chair will be trundled the seat can be turned so that the child may face either toward the attendant or in the opposite direction. This ability to readily revolve the seat with respect to the propelling-handle is a great advantage, as it enables the attendant to give constant attention to the child and shield it from the glare of the sun upon its face.

By providing the foot-rest frame with two rests a support for the feet is had in each position of the chair-seat.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a convertible chair, the combination of the base-frame mounted on wheels, a seatframe pivotally mounted to turn horizontally on the base-frame, and a handle by which the chair may be trnndled, substantially as described. v

2. In a convertible chair, the combination, with the base-frame and the seat-frame pivotally mounted thereon, of a foot-rest frame provided in front and rear with foot-rests, substantially as described.

3. In a convertible chair, the combination, with the base-frame and the vertically-movable seat-frame, of the perforated and verticallygrooved cross-bar attached to the base-frame, and the sliding spindle attached to the seatframe and provided with the projecting lugs, substantially as described.

4. In a convertible chair, the combination, with the seat-frame and the base-frame,of the cross-bar, the interior whereof is provided with the vertical grooves and the top whereof is provided with the transverse grooves, and the sliding spindle connected with the seat-frame and having the projecting lugs adapted to slide within the vertical grooves of the hub and to rest within the transverse grooves'at the top thereof, substantially as described.

5. In a convertible chair, the combination, with the base-frame and the seat-frame,of the cross-bar attached to the base-frame, the sliding spindle connected with the seat-frame, and the foot-rest frame provided with the footrest, substantially as described.

6. .In a convertible chair, the combination, with the base-frame and the vertically-movable seat-frame, of a foot-rest frame consisting of the side bars, G and G, mounted with the seat-frame, whereby said foot-rest can be raised and lowered and fit within the base-frame, substantially as described.

7. In a convertible chair, the combination of the base-frame, the seat-frame, the foot-rest frame, the sliding spindle, the spider-frame for sustaining the foot-rest frame,and the crossbar provided with a perforated hub, substantially as described.

8. In a convertible chair, the combination, with the base-frame and a seat-frame adapted to be raised and lowered, of a handle, H, pivoted to the base-frame, and a foot-rest pivotally connected to the handle and to the foot-rest frame, substantially as described.

9. In a convertible chair, the combination, with the base-frame and a seat-frame adapted to be raised and lowered, of a handle pivoted to the base-frame,and a foot-restpivotally connected to the handle and to a portion of the chair structure that is adapted to be raised and lowered, substantially as described.

JOSEPH WV. KENNA.

IVitnesses:

GEO. I. FISHER, Jr., JAMEs H. PEIROE. 

